Top 7 Rules to Have a Good Night’s Sleep

Why is it important to get a good night sleep?

By improving the quality of your sleep, you will automatically improve the quality of your life. When you don’t sleep enough, or don’t get quality sleep, you will wake up extremely fatigued in the mornings. That tiredness is quite often accompanied by sharp headaches which will not let you function at your fullest potential during the day. Check out below some of the most important rules to have a good night’s sleep.

1. Right side or left side?

Each person has a preferred sleeping position: on the back, on the side, on the stomach. Which is best? Several statistics show that sleeping on your left side is the most beneficial. According to holistic medicine, the left side of the body is the lymphatic side. Thus, while you are getting a restful night of sleep on your left side, your system will be able to flush all the hazardous toxins much more efficiently. While you sleep on your right side, your lymphatic system is slowed down, and your system will struggle to filter in a proper manner all those toxins. Sleeping on the left side plays a significant role in the improvement of your digestive system. Many people don't care about the position they choose to sleep, but you might consider it from now on.

2. Watch your habits

Watching TV, reading, texting, or staying on top of your bed with your laptop right before sleep will never allow your system to “slow down”. Before sleeping, give your body some time to wind down, and don’t burden it with any activity that would only make you more alert (such as reading or watching TV). Also, do not consume any caffeinated beverages or smoke 1 or 2 hours before going to sleep. Probably most of your do two or three of these bad things before you go to sleep. Reducing them could greatly improve your sleep. Make these habits a history and it will help you achieve a restful night of sleep.

3. Let the fresh air come in

Make sure you aerate the room for at least 10 minutes before going to sleep. It doesn’t matter how chilly the weather is outside; you need to let crispy fresh air come into your room. This will ensure you will go asleep in a room that is properly aerated, with clean and fresh air. Even if you use an oxygen machine for home use, you must ventilate the room properly before going to sleep and then aerate it again the morning after you wake up. The optimum temperature for sleep is between 17 and 20 degrees Celsius. It might seem a bit excessive (especially for women who prefer higher temps), but be sure to try it at least once. You don’t have to feel cold while you are trying to go asleep, but you shouldn’t feel hot either.

4. A few good habits before sleep

To ensure a restful night of sleep, you should first switch off/mute your devices, especially your phone and tablet. Many people cannot fall asleep because they are constantly thinking about “that” email or message they should receive. They expect news or messages to come in, and they are not able to fall asleep. Once you mute/shut off your devices you are now ready to get a good night’s sleep.

Another good idea is to get a relaxing, warm bath before sleep. The bath will help you relax, and if you can use aromatherapy too (such as primrose or lavender which are naturally soothing the senses), you will be able to calm down your body and soul before sleep.

Try to drink a cup of warm milk with honey before going to bed. The milk contains tryptophan, which is a natural amino acid that helps inducing sleep faster. In case you do not like cow’s milk, you could also try almond milk or coconut milk that can have the same effect and help you fall asleep faster and better.

5. Matters of the Mattress

The mattress you sleep on matters a great deal. When you sleep on an old, worn out mattress, it is almost impossible to get a good night’s sleep. You should definitely invest in a new, orthopedic mattress made of latex, memory foam or a sprung & memory foam mattress. There are so many available options out there. You can even purchase mattresses with gel inlays, bamboo, and other natural materials. You just need to ensure that you have a top quality mattress, and then you can rest assured 50% of a good night’s sleep is guaranteed. Remember that you will have to find the right one for you. Some are good for hot and moist weather conditions and can keep you cool during sleep (like eucalyptus quilted mattress). Other are made for people who would like to stay warm in winter conditions. You should definitely check their properties before you make a purchase.

6. Follow your natural sleep-wake cycle

Even if it sounds impossible to achieve, the best thing to do is to sleep and wake up approximately at the same hours. During workdays, this should not be difficult at all, and always ensure to stick to your “plan.” During the weekends, people have a tendency to sleep in. Now, you should follow your original plan, even if you go to bed too late during the weekends. Instead of sleeping in on Saturday or Sunday, just make an effort to wake up at the regular hour and then take a nap during the day. This way, you will actually compensate for those lost hours, while your natural sleep-wake cycle is maintained intact. Once you follow your natural sleeping regime you won't even set an alarm clock to wake you up. You'll just wake up on your own and feel rested and refreshed.

7. Workout improves sleep quality

You don’t necessarily have to join the local gym and start working out vigorously. It is enough if you make a habit of walking for half an hour every day, or light jogging in the neighborhood. Physical exercise, being on the fresh air and moving your muscles more energetically will help you get a better quality of sleep. Now, people who need to use an in home oxygen generator cannot perform heavy exercising. However, in this case, you can perform a few light exercises every day, or take a walk for 10 minutes. Physical exercise will help you feel better, look better, think better and ultimately…sleep better!

Conclusion

Many say that sleeping fewer hours will allow you to achieve more things in life. This is not necessarily true. If you don’t get enough quality sleep for several years in a row, your system will ultimately give up on you. Just as you need to consume quality foods to stay healthy, so should you sleep well and sleep enough for a healthy nervous system.